“That asshole has some nerve showing up here,” she spat, scrambling to her feet.
“Wait.” I grabbed her arm to stop her. “I’ll handle this. Let me just see what he wants.”
She sat back down. “Get rid of him or I’ll kick his ass this time.”
Completely taken aback by Kirk showing up at my place, especially since I had predicted it would take him a few days to a week or two before he came crawling back, asking for forgiveness, I was stunned that he was at my house, demanding to see me after only two days.
“She doesn’t want to see you.” Audrey’s angered voice traveled to my ears as I stormed down the hall and into the living room.
“I know she’s here. Her car is parked out front,” he insisted.
I walked into the room just in time to see him trying to push his way into the hallway.
“It’s okay, Audrey. I’ll take it from here,” I said, eying Kirk’s black eye with interest.
Audrey turned to look at me and nodded. “All right, but if you need us, we’re just a shout away.” She ambled on by me, glancing wearily in Kirk’s direction briefly before moving on.
Placing both hands on my hips, I raised my chin and said, “It looks like someone ended what I started, huh?”
He winced, the gesture visible through his one good eye. “So, what? You’re dating him to get back at me? Is that it?”
I was barely able to hold back the laughter trying to work its way out of my mouth. “Is that why you’re here?”
He pointed at me with his index finger. “You’re doing it to spite me.”
Now I really did laugh. “You think you’re that important?”
He was right of course, but there really was no need for me to admit it.
“Janessa, I know I messed up, but—”
I raised my hand to signal him to stop. “Save it. I don’t want to hear it.”
He scowled. “She means nothing to me.”
“She meant enough for you to go around poking her every chance you got!” I bellowed, pissed that he would even try to pull that talk on me.
“It was just a…fling. Nothing remotely serious. I love you.”
The second he said that, I picked up the remote control sitting on top of the coffee table and hurled it in his direction. It missed his face by a fraction of an inch.
“Janessa!” he jumped back.
“Do you want another black eye?” I threatened, looking for something else I could use as a weapon. Spotting a ceramic doll I kept on top of the table next to the couch, I hesitated to grab it since it was my absolute favorite.
“Dammit! I’m apologizing here,” he said, ducking behind my favorite recliner.
“And I’m supposed to laugh, jump into your arms, and pretend as if everything is okay?” I glared at him. “Things don’t work that way Kirk. I don’t want you anymore anyway. You’re disgusting.”
“Oh, so what then? You want him?” He straightened up and glowered. “You don’t even know him for God’s sakes. When did you even meet him?”
If there was ever a moment to gloat over how well things were going in this totally crazy and completely made-up-on the spot plan, this would be it. However, seeing Kirk and hearing him talk had renewed the anger brewing inside of me all over again.
“We’re not together anymore, so I don’t have to explain myself to you,” I said. “Whether I want him now or not it’s my business, not yours. Mind your own goddamn life. I’m not a part of it anymore.”
Kirk snorted, his eyes wide as he glared at me in a way I’d never seen before. “Fine. Have it your way. I doubt it will last anyway.” He sneered. “He’s not even man enough to keep a woman like Margaret interested; do you think he will be able to keep you happy?”
Honestly, had he slapped me I would have been less surprised. Kirk’s disparagement of Dakota’s persona, when he didn’t even know the man well enough to make such an assumption of him, really had me seeing red.
Of course, I could only wonder what Margaret had said to fill in for her lose ways.
Pointing to the front door, I said, “Get the hell out of my house.”
His eyes widened. “What?”
“You heard me. Get the hell out! And don’t come back!” I screamed.
“You’re throwing me out because of what I said about him?” He sounded as surprised as he looked.
“Damn right. Now get out!”
“Forget this.” Spinning around, he marched right out the door without another word.
Chapter Nine
Fuming, absolutely livid, I marched right back into the kitchen where Delilah and Audrey were still sitting around the dining table, their mouths hanging open in shock.
“Do you believe the nerve of that guy?” I shouted. “I tell you one thing; Kirk and that girl are perfect for each other. In fact, they deserve each other.”
Delilah flicked her long red hair over a shoulder. “He certainly is jealous. If that is what you were going for, you have succeeded,” she said.
“Word gets around fast,” Audrey added.
“Leave it to Michaela to get the word around about you showing up at a party with a guy that wasn’t Kirk and voila, magic happens.” Delilah laughed. “What are you planning to do now?”
I plopped into the same chair I’d been sitting on moments before. “I don’t know.”
Kirk’s timing was off. He’d showed up way before I even had the chance to set the plan into full motion. And I had to go see Dakota in a few hours.
“He didn’t beg for you to take him back but he came pretty damn close to it.” Audrey picked up her plate and carried it to the sink. “Maybe you should call this whole thing with Dakota off.”
I rolled my eyes at her. “I should, but I’m not.”
Delilah giggled. “What’s going through your head?”
“Kirk put me through hell the last month or so, why should I give up after a day? Besides, I haven’t even begun to make him pay. Giving up now will be too damn easy.”
Audrey sauntered on back to the table and looked down at me. “Are you nuts? Why push your luck.”
“What luck?” I shook my head. “I already made a promise to myself, and I intend to keep it. Kirk will squirm and he’s barely been hooked.” I picked up my plate and carried it to the sink, placing it on top of Audrey’s.
“So you’re going to see him?”
“Yes, I am,” I said, irritated by how much Kirk had actually pissed me off, again. “Meanwhile, I need to do something to distract myself. Do you girls have plans for right now?”
“I have plans for later on,” Delilah said. “But I’m available right now.”
Audrey shook her head. “I’m busy later, but I’m free now.”
“Good. We should go shopping.”
The girls squealed with excitement.
“I’ll meet you back down here in an hour.”
Without waiting for a response, I ambled out of the kitchen, down the hall, and took the steps two at a time in my haste to get to my bedroom.
***
The rest of the morning and early afternoon was spent in pure bliss. The girls and I hit every shopping center and outlet mall we could think of, with the exception of the mall where Dakota worked during the weekend. It was the one mall in the entire area I hardly ever visited simply because it wasn’t as big as the others. Though I did want to see him, I wanted to wait until later on.
The girls and I spent a few hours browsing and buying, basically until the anger caused by Kirk’s visit dimmed considerably. We did have fun though. A trip out with the girls always made me feel better, basically because they were good at making me laugh. Delilah, with her over the top imitations, and Audrey, with her passion for life, could lift my spirits at any time, which was one of the reasons I appreciated their friendship.
By noon, we headed out to lunch, making a stop at Red Lobster for quite an enjoyable meal. It was definitely one of my favorite restaurants and I visited it often. Eating out wit
h the girls was like enjoying a home cooked meal with family.
Once we were done with lunch, I treated the girls to manis and pedis.
Thankfully, by three in the afternoon my good mood had returned and I no longer felt as if I seriously wanted to strangle somebody, so when we arrived home, I trudged right up to my room, multiple shopping bags in hand, and decided to accommodate my newly purchased items inside the walk-in closet.
I wasn’t a compulsive shopper by any means. But what girl did not like to go out and buy cute outfits to spice up the wardrobe? Besides, with my father taking care of all my expenses money wasn’t exactly a problem. He would pay for a trip to the moon if it meant that I stayed away from the house he shared with his wife. My presence was only tolerated during the holidays, and because around that time of year my father developed a conscious. Or he remembered he had a daughter, I wasn’t sure which.
After organizing my closet, which did not take very long considering it was immaculate to begin with, I opted for bathing again. I wanted to blow dry my hair and since I had at least two hours to spare before my meeting with Dakota, it felt good to just relax and unwind.
Since Delilah and Audrey already had plans for the early evening, I was alone in the house, so there was no waiting for the bathroom. Though the townhouse did have two full baths, one in the first floor and the other in the second, we preferred the one on the second floor because of its size. It was quite literally the size of my walk-in closet. It could easily fit fifteen people comfortably inside and still have room to spare. With a full sized bath on the left side of the room, and a shower on the right, his and her sinks, a small closet, the toilet, plus a full length mirror, it was more than accommodating.
Filling up the tub with peach scented bubble soap, I hopped in, and soaked for about twenty minutes before I busied myself with washing my scalp. A few minutes later, I scampered to my feet, wrapped a towel around me, and stepped out of the tub. Pulling the plug, I grabbed the clothing I’d left discarded on the floor and dumped them in the hamper inside the bathroom closet before exiting the room.
Sauntering back into my bedroom, I closed the door, and moseyed on toward the small entertainment system sitting right next to my computer desk where I proceeded to turn on the stereo. Cranking up the volume, I walked into my closet and began to rummage through the contents, looking for an outfit to wear. Taking my comfort into consideration, I opted for a pair of faded jeans, a simple pink t-shirt, and a pair of white and pink Converse.
Opting for applying makeup before I figured out what to do with my hair—and yes, I had a tendency of doing things backward from time to time—I sat down in front of my vanity mirror and applied just a little eye shadow and lip-gloss to bring some color back into my face.
Once the makeup department was taking care of, I set out to blow dry my hair. By the time my hair was perfectly dry and cascading down my back in a straight line rather than in its usual wavy pattern, it was time for me to leave.
Turning off the stereo, I stuffed my cell phone in my pants pocket, reached for my car keys and rushed out the door.
In less than five minutes I was on my way to the mall, and my nerves began to really bother me then. What if Dakota had thought over our conversation and had decided he wanted nothing to do with me or my stupid plan? What if he’d already taken Margaret back? What if she had already gone to him and asked for forgiveness? Would he forgive her so easily?
The thought bothered me, perhaps more than it should have. It was something I could not explain, especially considering I did not really care much for anything or anyone for that matter. However, the thought of them mending their broken relationship did pull a chord inside of me. Not caring for the strange sentiment at all, my brain immediately set out to convince me it was only because my original plan would be ruined that I felt that way.
Shaking my head, I ignored my nagging conscious and only concentrated on making it to the destination I’d had in mind all day.
Driving ten miles over the speed limit, I managed to make it to the mall in less time than it would take most commuters. Since my need for speed got the best of me about eighty percent of the time, I had been caught for speeding more times than I could count. It was only by some miracle of God that I hadn’t gotten in serious trouble. Then again, having a face like mine, combined with my excellent ability to talk my way out of anything, I’d been let go with a warning a few times.
Parking my baby in the same spot from the day before, I climbed out of the car and locked the doors before heading inside the mall.
Taking my time, I made my way to the bookshop, and as my feet moved across the floor, I began to wonder if he was up to working after the emotional ups and downs he had the day before. I’d forgotten to ask for Dakota’s cell phone number, so it was too late to make sure he was even at work. I mean, since he had gotten drunk the night before, I had failed to consider whether he would even show up. But because he came across as a responsible young man, I had automatically assumed he would be there.
Thankfully, I had no time to worry about the possibility of him not being at work, because the moment I scurried passed the food court, I spotted him. As I scampered to the shop’s entrance, where I stopped just behind a promotional sign stuck to the glass that served as the front wall, which overlooked the food court a short distance away, I observed the guy I’d come out to see without his knowledge.
Though I could not make out what they were talking about, Dakota was helping out an older woman of about sixty five with something at the back of the shop. They spoke for a little while, Dakota patiently pointing to several books as he explained something I could not pick up on. The older woman smiled and thanked him, or at least I thought she did. From where I stood it was hard to say for sure, and with all the noise emanating from the crowded food court behind me it was just impossible to hear clearly.
After the older woman chose two books, he carried them to the register where he ranged them up for her. I watched as he waited good-naturedly as she counted the exact change to pay for her purchases. Not once did I detect a hint of irritation. Nor did he roll his eyes when the older woman wasn’t looking. Not once did I hear him hurry her up, and to be perfectly honest, I was touched by that. He just stood there and waited on the woman as if he had all the time in the world. Any other person would have said something, would have acted rudely, or would have counted the change for her just to send her on her way. But not Dakota. He smiled amiably and waited.
I recalled one time Kirk had shoved an older couple out of his way in the movie theaters because, according to him, they were too damn slow. I had been so embarrassed by his behavior I’d ended up apologizing over a hundred times.
It was funny how I failed to see all his flaws before, and now that we were broken up; I could see how much of a jerk he really was. It was as if someone had finally taken off the blindfold that had kept me from overlooking or ignoring his despicable nature.
I was brought out of my reverie when the older woman finally handed over the money to Dakota, which he accepted with a smile before bagging up the woman’s items and producing a receipt for her.
With a wide smile on her face, the older woman thanked him and walked out of the shop, her smile broadening when she spotted me standing awkwardly outside.
I smiled back, slightly flustered over being caught staring, and scampered on past her and into the shop where Dakota was organizing a book display next to the cash register.
“Are you always that nice with all your customers?” I asked as I walked in. “Or just with the women?”
He turned to face me, his lips curving up into the most alluring smile I’d ever seen. I could have sworn my heart stopped as I stood there and stared, but I decided to ignore it all. I could not—would not allow myself to get attached to Dakota in any way.
“Just with the women,” he replied. “They tip better.” He walked around the counter toward me. “Besides, guys don’t usually like it when you’re overly n
ice.”
I laughed. “Unless you’re a girl,” I added.
He nodded. “Which I’m not.”
“How’s the hangover?” I asked as he stepped in next to me.
“Not as bad as I thought it would be.” He used his index finger to slide the glasses, which had begun to slide down as he studied me, up his nose again. “I have to say though, I’m kind of surprise you’re here.”
Arching my eyebrows, I gaped at him. “Why? I told you I’d be here.”
He dipped his head slightly. “Yeah, but up to this point, I thought you’d have time to think about it and wouldn’t show up.”
Was it wrong for me to assume he wanted me to come? Was it wrong for me to think that he had been looking forward to me dropping by?
“No. I did think about it, but I haven’t changed my mind,” I said. “Have you?”
He shook his head. “Not really. But I was kind of out of it last night and I’m not really sure what I even agreed to,” he continued. “I only remember bits and pieces of conversation.”
Smiling, I placed one hand on my hip and added, “Is your shift over yet?”
He glanced back over his right shoulder to look at a large digital clock hanging from the wall. “Just about.”
“Well, maybe we can go somewhere private and talk some more,” I suggested, hoping he’d say yes. “That is, unless you have other plans.”
Dakota shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. “I don’t have any plans.”
Smiling coquettishly, I folded my arms over my breasts as I added, “I think we need to talk some more, in a different setting.”
Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, he responded with, “I’m up to hearing more of that scheme of yours.”
I laughed. Only he could identify with me. He was going through the same thing as me. Or he was in a similar situation as me. Albeit, he still had feelings for the girl. Whereas, I only wanted to deliver Kirk another low blow. One that would hurt as much as the one I’d given him already, but not as physical.
Payback is Sweet Page 8